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Scotland's Native Trees and Shrubs
From cuttings
Vegetative propagation is used to produce a plant identical in genotype to the source or mother plant. Its use is consequently normally confined to the propagation of cultivars of non-native species. Occasionally, native species such as holly are propagated from stem cuttings because the seed can take two years to prepare prior to germination. The natural method of vegetative propagation of trees and shrubs is by runners, or roots that surface and produce vegetative growth. Artificial methods of vegetative propagation include: division; layering; stem, root and leaf cuttings.
Micro-propagation is the science of growing plant cells - tissues isolated from the mother plant - in laboratory conditions using tissue culture techniques. Plant material, such as young flower buds or small fruits are taken from their normal growing situation and cultured in vitro (in glass). Newly produced shoots or plantlets are subsequently grown-on by traditional horticultural techniques.
Rooted holly cutting. Holly has fleshy soft roots that are easily damaged. This is the reason it must be container-grown to be transplanted successfully. This cutting has produced a prolific root system because the rooting medium was enriched with a natural source of mycorrhiza. Holly and yew can be produced from seed or stem cuttings. It can take at least five years to produce a saleable plant from seed as opposed to two or three years from cutting. It is important that the seed is collected from trees growing in the wild. The seed must then be extracted from the berry, cleaned and finally stratified for two years before germination will take place. It then requires being grown-on for two or three years in the nursery to prepare it for road landscape work.
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